Children’s Mental Health: A Rising Health Crisis Today

Caring for your child goes deeper than what meets the eye. Today, children’s mental health is a growing health crisis, one that every parent should pay serious attention to. When you hear the words anxiety and depression you may think that these are adult mental health concerns. But, recent studies show that children 15 years old and below already suffer from anxiety and depression. In fact, it is estimated that 10% of the children have a mental health concern, that’s three in every classroom! It was also found that half of these mental concerns of children started even before the child turned 15 years old. 

In a recent study conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, it has been found that 1 in 5 children had a mental health concern, but only 20% of these children have been diagnosed and given proper treatment and medication. The common causes of mental health in children include the change of school, bullying (cyber and physical bullying), and pressures and stress from their environment. Moreover, the child’s school performance has also been found to increase stress and anxiety levels in children; assessment exams and college interviews only add to the pressure. 

As a parent, it is your role to provide the child with opportunities and support to live a happy life. Explore different methods that would help your child mentally, and offer them an escape from the daily pressures of life like good books to read. More importantly, always be available to listen to their concerns and make them feel that they are not alone in their mental health battle. 

Children’s Mental Health: Five Reasons Why Children Who Read Grow Up Happier

Jonathan Douglas, director of the National Literacy Trust emphasized the role of reading in supporting a child’s mental health. It has also been found that children who read and write are more mentally sound than those who do not read. Recent studies have shown that reading and writing have a huge benefit to the child’s mental well-being. 

To quote Jonathan Douglas: 

“Children and young people today face a multitude of pressures at school, at home and in their social lives. It is imperative that we do everything we can to enable our children to develop the resilience they need to cope with life’s challenges – and our latest research shows that the joys of reading and writing can be hugely beneficial.”

A study conducted by the National Literacy Trust involving 49,047 school-aged children in the UK aged 8 years old to 18 years old found that children who are more engaged in reading live happier lives than those who do not read. Children who are more engaged in literacy, in general, have been found to have better mental well-being than their peers who do not read. Moreover, the children who are more involved in reading have higher levels of mental well-being than those who don’t. The same report also shows an analysis from the University College of London showing the relationship between mental health and verbal scores. 

Children who read grow up happier because: 

• Reading develops emotional intelligence – When a child reads he/she becomes more exposed to different behaviours and emotions through the characters in a story. A personalised book gives the child a sense of ownership in the text, so they are more empathetic of the characters in the story that they are reading! 
• Children who read get better sleep- Bedtime reading has been found to help children get longer and undisturbed sleep because reading sends signals to the brain that it’s time for bed. 
• Parents and children bond through books- The relationship between the parent and the child is enhanced through reading. When the parent and the child read together, they share an intimate bond as they explore the book and the story. Shared reading also opens the opportunity to communicate with your child about their fears, stresses, pressures, and concerns. 
• Reading enhances self-confidence- The child gains self-confidence and understanding about how to handle real-life circumstances more wisely when they read because of the knowledge and experience that they encounter in the world of books! 
• More aware of emotions and behaviours- Through reading, children become more aware of different people, their personalities, behaviours, and attitudes. So, they are better prepared to respond to these differences in personalities when they encounter them in real-life!